Notorious gangster Deepak Manange aka Rajeev Gurung has been released from jail following an order from the Supreme Court on Thursday.

A division bench of Justices Sharada Prasad Ghimire and Bam Kumar Shrestha issued the order to release him.

Manange, who was elected as an independent candidate to a provincial assembly seat from Manang district, had been doing time in the Dillibazaar prison for an attempted murder case.

Responding to an appeal lodged at the Supreme Court against the decision of the Appellate Court, the apex court ordered the release of Manange according to Civil Code 2020. In the appeal, Manange has demanded a review of his case. He also posted a bail amount of Rs 27,375.

According to legal provision, Manange does not need to stay behind the bars until the final verdict is issued on the case.

A police team deployed from the Metropolitan Police Range, Kathmandu, had arrested him from Swoyambhu, Kathmandu on April 19, 2018.

Earlier in January, the Supreme Court (SC) had convicted Manange in an attempted murder case and sentenced him to five years in prison. He had several run-ins with the law on numerous criminal charges in the past.

He was on the run since the SC upheld the Patan Appellate Court’s verdict to jail him for five years in an attempted murder case.

International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol) had even issued a red corner notice against fugitive assembly member of province 4 Rajib Gurung aka Deepak Manange. The notice was issued at the initiative of Central Investigation Bureau of Nepal police.

Fearing arrest, Manange did not take the oath of office and secrecy as PA member and had been absconding.

Responding to a 13-year-old case of gang war between Manange and his rival Milan Gurung aka Chakre, the Patan Appellate Court in 2012 had ruled the incident as an attempted murder case and ordered five years jail sentence to Manange.

Case history

A gang of Manange had lanched a sword attack on the gang of Milan Gurung aka 'Chakre' in 2005. His left hand was chopped into two pieces in the attack. Though his hand was prevented from being cut off after the treatment, it did not return to its previous condition.

Following the attack, Chakre’s wife, Indira Gurung, filed an attempted murder case against Manange and his accomplices at the Kathmandu District Court.

But the Kathmandu District Court had ruled out the attempted murder charge and ordered a two-year jail sentence to Manange in aggravated assault conviction. The court had also acquitted four of Manange’s accomplices, including gangster turned politician Ganesh Lama, Umesh Lama, Rewat Karki and Ramesh Sunuwar.

Dissatisfied by the court’s ruling, the government lawyers had knocked the door of the Patan Appellate Court, seeking punishment against the defendants.

The Patan Appellate Court in 2012 ruled the incident as an attempted murder case and ordered five years jail sentence to Manange, but upheld the Kathmandu District Court’s decision to acquit Manange’s four accomplices. 

The Attorney General’s Office in May 2013 had moved the SC, seeking punishment to four of Manange’s accomplices as well.